Silently into the Night
by airstep
Summary: Naruto is recovering from the loss of his team when a crisis awakens in the shinobi world threating to rip apart the seams


**Silently into the Night**

The yellow orange orb in the sky slowly rises in the east bringing about a new day. A figure wearing a plain white hooded cloak stands on top of an eroded cliff that at one time had faces carved into them. The figure looks down to the ruins of a village that once stood proudly many years ago.

A deep inhale is taken to remember the past, thoughts shift from good to bad. Two more figures step out into the open joining the lone figure both wearing black hooded cloaks laced with a gold thread at the seam with a white band around there right arm..

The white cloaked figure reaches into the cloak pulling out two old photographs. The first photo had four people standing together two were smiling while the other two looked determined to be better then the other. The other picture was of a large group of people all standing next to each other smiling proudly. Setting the two photos down on the ground next to a crudely made grave stone. The three cloaked figures remove their hoods.

The figure in the white cloak removes his hood first to reveal untamed peppered gray hair. He had only one visible eye that was blue the other was hidden behind an eyepatch. The two in black cloaks were females. One with sun-kissed blonde hair and green eyes, the other with pink hair and blue eyes both in their late teens.

The three of them got down on their knees and clasped there hands together for a small prayer. The two women stood back up and helped the old man to his feet.

"Lets go sensei. It's time to head back home." The pinked haired girl said in a pleasant voice.

"Your right." The old man said sadly beginning to walk home with the assistants of his two students.

The old man looked sad for not staying longer. His eyes were directed to the ground with his head loosely hanging down, arms draped to the side.. The blonde girl notices this immediately.

"Sensei, why don't you tell us one of your tales of the past on our way back, right Sakura?" The blonde girl asked. Sakura, the pink haired girl, nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah, Isaribi and I would love to hear one of your stories." Sakura replied trying to make the old man feel better. She knew that he loved nothing more then to tell stories of the past.

The old man smiled "Ok, Have I told you about a young man named Uzumaki Naruto, ninja of Konohagakure." The old man takes a deep breath.

"You mentioned him a couple of times before. Other then that is what I've read in books in your personal library." Sakura said softly sorting through her thoughts about what she knew of Naruto. Isaribi kept quiet staring the trees in front of her as they walked.

"This was during a very bad time in the shinobi nations. Every country had a cease fire with each other after the last great war, but just barely. Naruto at this time was in his twenties patrolling the northern border of Fire and River country. As you know, the River country had no standing army of any sort but was not left without an armed force. This day was not going to be Naruto's day.

* * *

Listening to the radio chirp to life Naruto breathed in. "Bird watcher checking in. We spotted a couple woodpeckers. Nothing else to report."

"_Must be mating season. Check out the next site, report any rare birds for a prize. Out." _The radio went to static when the transmission cutout.

Naruto sighed and looked up to the sky then back down to his watch. It read five to four. He continues his patrol along the border under the call sign Bird Watcher. His temporary partner was none other then Haruno Sakura. She was assigned from the Fifth Hokage to evaluate Naruto's physical and mental health on the job as a yearly check up.

Naruto has been a part of the border patrol only a couple months. It didn't pay as well as ANBU but it still came with a steady pay check every week. Naruto quit ANBU Black ops about three months ago after getting back from his last mission.

* * *

"Raccoon is scavenging. Target confirmed. Continue scanning area." Naruto whispered through his head set.

The target Naruto spoke of was the former member of the Akatsuki, Uchiha Itachi to be more specific, was walking alone down a dusty road. Naruto was leading a team of chunni on their sixth mission together.

He had trained them to be advance forward scouts. It was a new program ANBU came up with. The main objective of AFS was to have highly skilled ninja deployed during war time to give out precise detail of enemy movements, assassinate and the ability to lead an entire battalion.

Naruto had recently invented a new technique to mask there presence. So far this technique has worked since Itachi has not sense their presence.

"All clear, target is confirmed to be alone. Prepare to attack. We go when the last leaf lands." Naruto was using code to signal the attack. He means when all four ninja are in position they will commence attack.

"_HOLD! Target is no longer alone, four unknowns approaching from the north._" Yakushi nearly reveled her position when she spotted the new comers, her headset had caught a twig when she moved.

Yakushi, a world-wise kunoichi, has a feminine build. Her wide eyes are blue with silver hair that is worn in a style that resembles a helmet. Her outfit includes an oversize pair of boots and a brown trench coat. She uses a graceful form of martial arts that emphasizes breaking an opponent's bones and using grappling. Her preferred weapons are throwing weapons. She is skilled in tracking and gossip. She can create magnetism from her eyes.

She was just recruited to the elite reconnaissance squad in ANBU Black Ops AFS program. Her mission records were nearly perfect with a ninety nine point three percent success rate. She had always kept her cool in any situation and had a high level of skill in information gathering. The other two ninjas had similar backgrounds, Jin young and Menma. When Naruto first meet Menma he could of sworn it was the friend he lost seven years earlier in a gold mine explosion.

Jin Young, materialistic ninja, is very tall and has an athletic build. His hooded eyes are yellow with orange hair worn in a precise style. His preferred weapons are pole arms. He is skilled in medicine, mimicry, and a secret family jutsu. He can control minds.

Menma, a mysterious ninja, is short and slender. His gentle eyes are sky blue. He has light blonde hair worn in a wild manner. His weapon of choice includes a sword with small holes in it that creates sounds. He is skilled in weapons, disguise and infiltration. He can pass through water as if it were air.

"Acquiring new target information. One sand ninja, one leaf ninja, one cloud ninja and one rock ninja. All high class jonin." Jin family had a special family jutsu for gathering information close or long range without the victim knowing that they were being probed.

The group of four ninjas stopped in front of Itachi. They stood there for a few moments until each of the four ninjas handed Itachi a small scroll and a small vial. Itachi nodded his head as he read the scrolls dismissing the ninjas.

As the four ninjas walked away from Itachi, Menma moved into position for a surprise attack. Itachi cooly looks around making sure no one was watching him. He opens up his cloak and pulls out a mask. He puts his mask on and smashes one of the vials on the ground. He quickly opens the scroll placing it across the contents of the vial.

Then faster then the eye can see he makes his hand signs. The ground starts to shake and the surrounding area begins to fill with smoke. Naruto and the others quickly cover their mouth and noses. Their eyes began to sting.

When the smoke cleared Itichi disappeared. What was left was five figures dressed in some type of black battle armor covered from head to toe. They first seemed disorientated and confused. All five of them raised a rather oddly shape weapon. It looked similar to the cross bow.

"_Shit, get out of here. They know we're here_."Menma blurted over the radio. A second after he said that one of the armored figures pulls the trigger of his weapon. Nothing... it made no sound. Menma was injured from a small projectile that imbedded itself into his chest.

"_One down. Tracking three other targets. Engage at will._" The middle figure shouted out.

"_Abor..." _Jin didn't have a chance to escape .

"_Crap, Menma is down, Jin is d..."_ Yakushi radio went dead. Naruto looked in the direction of where each of his subordinates were. His worse fear came true, they're all dead.

"_Three targets down, one target remaining._" one of the armored men said.

"_Negative. One confirmed down. The remaining three targets disappeared._" the taller of the five soldiers spoke through their com's

"_Switch to thermal. Seek and destroy."_ The leader of the five man squad ordered. The squad spilt up into two-two man groups leaving the leader at the summoning site.

Naruto's squad had lost Menma in the short engagement with the unknown hostile squad. He and the remaining two were lucky to have found an underground tunnel at the last second.

In the past it had been rumored that whole armies would appeared from and disappear into the ground causing havoc. These tunnels stretched for miles upon miles never seeming to end.

The squad above continues to search while Naruto, Jin and Yakushi make there way around the tunnels looking for another way out. They finally came to a shaft leading up and climbed onto the rickety ladder only to find themselfs in another chamber. This chamber however is very different from the other rooms they found. They looked around opening some wooden crates and found strange looking items in them. They look similar to the weapons that attacked them.

"These are unusual weapons, but these look unuseable compared to what they were using." Jin broke the silence. Shortly after he said that a large explosion consumed them.

* * *

A bush near Naruto rustles and a small critter scurries away. Naruto had his Kunai drawn and ready to kill but just as quickly holstered his weapon upon seeing the creature. Sakura frowned making a mental note about Naruto's reaction to the incident.

"Naruto", Sakura struggled a little trying to find the best way to approach him, "You know that I am here for you, Tsunade too. But I think your making too much of a big deal about your last squad."

"Sakura!" Naruto Shouted practically giving away their position not that they were trying to be stealthy about it. "You have no idea what its like to be responsible for the death of your whole squad." Naruto failing miserably to hide his true feelings.

"I'm trying to help you Naruto. You know why I'm here with you now. Physically, you're healthy. But we have doubts that you have recovered mentally." Sakura lowers her head and slows her pace. She never lead a squad before but does know what its like to lose important people close to her.

"Shh..." this was not the reply Sakura had hoped for from Naruto. "Get down. I think I spotted someone just up a ways in the trees." Naruto now presses the transmit button on his radio. "Bird Watcher calling in. I found the Japanese crane."

"_Copy, You will receive your reward soon."_ The radio had replied back.

Sakura from her hiding place looks in the direction Naruto was claiming to have seen someone. After a few seconds she stood back up.

"Sakura I told you to get down."

"Naruto, there is nothing there. Your just seeing things..." Sakura's voice trailed off when she saw a glint of light flash in a tree off from a piece of glass or metal. Not soon after a piece of wood exploded millimeters from her face, a muffled explosion could be heard in the distance in the direction of the glint of light.

Everything seemed to be in slow motion for Sakura. She could see Naruto run towards her at full speed. Then she looked past him and noticed why he was running away. Five men in flat black armor all carrying strange looking weapons running towards them. One was carrying a larger weapon then the others. A long sleek black rod with a scope on top.

The woods around them began to explode from what ever was hitting them. Suddenly Sakura's eyes went wide as she felt something hit her in her mid section. She looks down seeing blood start pouring out of her. Another hit in her arm and another in her chest. Naruto continued to run looking in horror as Sakura collapses to the ground.

* * *

"Bird Watcher under attack, I repeat Bird Watcher under heavy attack. One injured requesting immediate assistants. Our position is being overrun. We can not hold." Naruto was panicking again. He was afraid of losing Sakura.

Naruto held onto Sakura protecting her from any further danager. He hears something land next to him. He grabs Sakura and jumps away. A second later a large explosion consumed a 5 meter radius of where they were.

Naruto takes off running and looks back to locate the enemy. They were right on his tail running at inhuman speeds. One of the soldiers darts right pas Naruto into the woods ahead. The other four right behind him.

"Shit!" The soldier that ran past him suddenly appeared from above and hit him with a powerful punch. The blow knocked Naruto into a tree that exploded by the force and Sakura into a branch.

Sakura was very weak. She knew the only way she was going to survive was to start healing herself. She rolled her head to the side and looked down and watched Nartuo fight their attackers. Even with Naruto's amazing power he was having a tough time taking them on.

She watch the fight feeling helpless. As she watches the battle she watched one of black armored soldiers suit turn red around the arms, chest and legs. She was amazed at how different his power became. She watch him throw a punch at Naruto and missed to hit a tree. He hit the tree with such force that it frighten Sakura.

Sakura finished healing herself on the front unaware that the injuries extended from the front to her back. She moves up then collapses back in the branch which broke from the weight. She feels the branch give way. She feels her stomach in her mouth. Suddenly she stops falling. It wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. She looks up to see familiar face just before she passed out.

* * *

A.N. This was a random thought up story...so how was this first chapter? 


End file.
